Prostitutes spread safe sex message to combat AIDS crisis
Barron, T.
Family Planning World 2(1): 15-16
1992
PMID: 12317121 Document Number: 319485
In an effort to combat AIDS, groups of prostitutes are being formed with the intention of training the sex workers persuade their clients to use condoms. The biggest obstacles is usually the resistance by the John to wear a condom. In Cameroon a group called the Cameroon Prostitutes Theater Project travels around the country and performs skits to educate bars full of potential clients about using condoms. The programs has been very successful. The sex workers also met condoms as part of their sexual services. Some participants can sell 50 cartons of condoms a month (there are 960 condoms to a carton). They can get the condoms very cheaply through various agencies and can sell them at a high mark up. There are a total of 83 such programs in developed and developing nations. Of this total 72 are all female sex workers and 11 are all male. 36 in Africa, 26 in the Americas, and 21 in Asia. Another obstacle can be the police since prostitution is often times illegal. A WHO grant for AIDSTECH helped to get these programs started and they also often work the a countries Ministry of Health to get the police to look the other way.